The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-02-10
Folklore.


Apparently the unmarried men and maids of
America, or this portion of it at least. haven't
made quite so frequent use of charms, signs.
etc.. to divine and assure the result of their
lorc-making as their English cousins: but new
crthelcSS there is ample evidence that our love-
lorn lads and las>c> havecalcd in the aid of the
supernatural in many ways. 1t appears the
power of divnation in love affairs from time
immcmoria has been allowed to rest almost
wholly with the ladies' and it is very proper
that it should, since the outcome of their ''af-
fairs of the heart" is, 30 far as their power to
shape it is concerned, largely a matter of fate.
Formerly certain days of the year were much
in favor for practiclng love-divinaton>. and
each day had its peculiar modes of procedure.
With us many of these rites have fallen into
di>use. and most OF the remainder are practccd
without regard to day or date.
OF the whole year Valentines. day has been
the most propitiouS for securing the influence
of the supernatural in love affairs. In the past
this day was made the occasion, between low
erS of an almost universal exchange of >cnti-
mental mi>sivc>. decorated with plump cupi,ls
and hearts pierced with their darts. designed to
fan the tender flame. Though the day still
finds our mails laden with nli>siyes sentimental
and otherwise their original significance seems
to have been mostly lost sight Of a large
share Of them are the mediums for gratifying
petty >pitc> by means of cheap prints caricattlr-
inc the prominent falling uf someone's enemy.
"A very different shaft than is found in cupi,'>
CULVER. How the modern observance of this
day differs from the original may, perhaps, be
best >hown hy the following extracts from
Chambers Encl rlulcda: "Nulcntint> day.
the l4th of February is, OF more correctly was.
celebrated in England, Scotland and in differ
cnt parts of the continent. particularly Lor-
raine and Maine in France. 10y Il very peculiar
and amusing custom. On the eve of >. Nalcll-
tine. Il number of youn" fok>-maid> and bach
olorS ~ would assemble together ana in>rribc
upon little biet> the names Of an equal Num-
Der Of maids and bachc or> of their arular-
tanrc. throw the whole into receptacle Of
some sort and then draw them lottcrv-wi>,-
care Icing taken. Of COURSE. that each should
draw one of the opposite sex. The person thus
drawn becomes ones Valentine. . . For
some time back the festival Ill least in En-
land and Scotland has ceased to possess the
graceful symbolic meaning it used to have ana
has h"rume Il considerable Nuisance" The So
lection Of this time for rhou>iu. a "vaI,ntinr'
j. said to be h,ra,l>r Of the fact Dr. fan;.v " hir-
ever it may he. that ''abou the middle Of fc-
ruar! birds choose their mates. The custom
Of sending valentines j. said to hr fast diving
out in this country Dnc method of ,liNiuaton
quite common here is for Il Young lnIN to cut
the letters of the alphabet from paper and put
them in water l'hc first letters to urt over
will be those of her future husband. gre
sumo this was originally Il practice, peculiar 10
Valentines eve. bur i used here without r.
gard t. time.
An English custom is for Il Young laiy tn
write the names of her lovers on small pieces
of paper Wrap them in clay and put them in Il
tub Of water The first to rise Will be- Her Val
cntine and. probably. her future husband. The
apple is mace t" plas Al important part IN the
loNe-diN n;,i""~ Of o,tr Young ladies' Il il safe
10 SAY the Young ladies' are few Who hu .,n't
pared an apple whole and flung the pc,l over
'-''
-Nho'ht' process y lof i !olh- ithN |" pace
two apple seeds on the hearth. giving one her
own name and the other that Of her lu>rr; the
one that pops first will iil the other. The Ing
Ii>h custom is to place single seed or nut on
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